2014-2015 Duke University Application Thread

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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Has anyone managed to successfully set up a student host for their interview? I got the email a few weeks ago about how the hosting program hadn't been set up yet, but that was two weeks ago. I'm sort of hoping to stay with a student host during my interview, (which is during the first week of their interviews)...
 
How many people does Duke interview? The MSAR says 440 but I've been hearing a higher number?
 
No recent IIs? I hope it isn't because Duke has had enough of the penguins and want something new.
 
Hey, anybody know how Duke feels about In the area emails? I don't like sending them, but I'll actually be right in the area in October and would love to save travel costs, in the probably unlikely case I get an interview at Duke. I'm nervous though since I don't want to rush Duke with looking at my app and honestly, if I get rejected I'd like to hang on to the hope that I have a chance for a little longer...
 
Friendly_female_house said:
It's been quiet everywhere really.
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It's really good to hear someone else say that. I know that interviews have been going out over the past 2 weeks, but they seem sparse rather than ginormous waves as we had in late July/early August.

Here's to hoping our (and everyone else's) dry spell ends soon 🙂.
 
Abstractions said:
It's really good to hear someone else say that. I know that interviews have been going out over the past 2 weeks, but they seem sparse rather than ginormous waves as we had in late July/early August.

Here's to hoping our (and everyone else's) dry spell ends soon 🙂.
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I keeps about 20 MDApp tabs open and check them everyday, it really seems that the pace of II, for most people have been generally slow. My theory is that in a lot of schools, admission staff are involved a lot in the beginning of the semesters to help the students with finance and other things. Faculties are probably also more involved in the beginning of the new semesters as well so they have less time to participate in the review process.
 
Friendly_female_house said:
I keeps about 20 MDApp tabs open and check them everyday, it really seems that the pace of II, for most people have been generally slow. My theory is that in a lot of schools, admission staff are involved a lot in the beginning of the semesters to help the students with finance and other things. Faculties are probably also more involved in the beginning of the new semesters as well so they have less time to participate in the review process.
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That's a really good theory, and makes a lot of sense! My II pace has been rather steady... One every week or every other week, it seems. I had one mini-flurry with two in one day, but other than that, I've never gotten more than one per week. No giant waves or anything, I mean. I'm not sure if that's the pace you've seen as well.
 
sunflower18 said:
That's a really good theory, and makes a lot of sense! My II pace has been rather steady... One every week or every other week, it seems. I had one mini-flurry with two in one day, but other than that, I've never gotten more than one per week. No giant waves or anything, I mean. I'm not sure if that's the pace you've seen as well.
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That is good to hear! My situation is similar. Congrats a million times by the way on the Mayo II!
 
I can't quote for some silly reason, but CONGRATULATIONS on your dream school II sunflower18!!! Mayo is an awesome school! If you ever interview at Iowa let me know and maybe we can talk about poetry 😍 I don't publish mine but poetry is a big part of how I express myself. I hope to read yours :nod:
 
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daenschl said:
That is good to hear! My situation is similar. Congrats a million times by the way on the Mayo II!
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I missed out on that news. Co-congrats!!! wow. Did you jump up and down on an imaginary trampoline?
 
sunflower18 said:
That's a really good theory, and makes a lot of sense! My II pace has been rather steady... One every week or every other week, it seems. I had one mini-flurry with two in one day, but other than that, I've never gotten more than one per week. No giant waves or anything, I mean. I'm not sure if that's the pace you've seen as well.
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Mine has been exactly one per week. Every Monday for the past 4 mondays. No more, no less. I don't know how to interpret this...someone higher up is playing a game with me...🙄
 
Friendly_female_house said:
Mine has been exactly one per week. Every Monday for the past 4 mondays. No more, no less. I don't know how to interpret this...someone higher up is playing a game with me...🙄
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That's a great pace Friendly! I'm sure it'll rack up if it continues this way, and of course I hope the pace quickens too! Mine have been so unpredictable and that's anxiety-inducing.
 
researchismymiddlename said:
That's a great pace Friendly! I'm sure it'll rack up if it continues this way, and of course I hope the pace quickens too! Mine have been so unpredictable and that's anxiety-inducing.
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IF it continues...I kept thinking that the last one is THE last one. 😀 Good luck to you dear poet friend. I used to write poems and essays too, in Chinese. Haven't gotten good enough to write in English.
 
researchismymiddlename said:
I can't quote for some silly reason, but CONGRATULATIONS on your dream school II sunflower18!!! Mayo is an awesome school! If you ever interview at Iowa let me know and maybe we can talk about poetry 😍 I don't publish mine but poetry is a big part of how I express myself. I hope to read yours :nod:
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Thank you so much!!!! I'm so excited! I saw that you got an interview at Iowa -- so much congrats on that!!! I haven't published mine in a few years because I felt like the time that I put into submitting the pieces and waiting to hear back took away from the experience of actually writing... But I still write a lot. It's cool to find other poets on SDN!! It's such a neat art form. I'd love to read yours too!! One reason why I applied to Iowa is its big association with writing and art. I find that super cool, and since you do too, I'm sure that it's a great fit for you and your interests! 🙂

Friendly_female_house said:
I missed out on that news. Co-congrats!!! wow. Did you jump up and down on an imaginary trampoline?
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I think you were talking to me... If so, thank you!!! I did not jump, but I did hyperventilate and cry and say "oh my god!" in the middle of my campus about thirty times hahaha

researchismymiddlename said:
That's a great pace Friendly! I'm sure it'll rack up if it continues this way, and of course I hope the pace quickens too! Mine have been so unpredictable and that's anxiety-inducing.
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I agree, that's a really good pace! And it's consistent! Which is nice 🙂 I agree that inconsistency spawns neuroticism, hahah.

Friendly_female_house said:
IF it continues...I kept thinking that the last one is THE last one. 😀 Good luck to you dear poet friend. I used to write poems and essays too, in Chinese. Haven't gotten good enough to write in English.
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I do too!!! I've thought that this one was my last one for the past three invites haha. I've learned to just stop trying to predict it and let whatever happens happen.

That's so cool that you wrote poems in Chinese! I find both the differences and similarities regarding poetry in various languages to be rather beautiful. I hope that you one day write poems in English as well!
 
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sunflower18 said:
Thank you so much!!!! I'm so excited! I saw that you got an interview at Iowa -- so much congrats on that!!! I haven't published mine in a few years because I felt like the time that I put into submitting the pieces and waiting to hear back took away from the experience of actually writing... But I still write a lot. It's cool to find other poets on SDN!! It's such a neat art form. I'd love to read yours too!! One reason why I applied to Iowa is its big association with writing and art. I find that super cool, and since you do too, I'm sure that it's a great fit for you and your interests! 🙂



I think you were talking to me... If so, thank you!!! I did not jump, but I did hyperventilate and cry and say "oh my god!" in the middle of my campus about thirty times hahaha



I agree, that's a really good pace! And it's consistent! Which is nice 🙂 I agree that inconsistency spawns neuroticism, hahah.



I do too!!! I've thought that this one was my last one for the past three invites haha. I've learned to just stop trying to predict it and let whatever happens happen.

That's so cool that you wrote poems in Chinese! I find both the differences and similarities regarding poetry in various languages to be rather beautiful. I hope that you one day write poems in English as well!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the congrats! And OMG about making a "career" on hobbies... I totally understand what you mean! It's why I only volunteer or donate my graphic design skills, drawing and poetry skills. I get asked why I don't take it and make it a career but I want to keep it fun and just a hobby... nothing else! I am big on rhyming in poetry 🙂 And oh yes, the Iowa Writer's Workshop is just A M A Z I N G. Did you know the founder is an MD?

sunflower18 said:
Also wait @researchismymiddlename -- you're 19 and have a PhD??? That's AMAZING! You're incredible!!!
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Thanks sunflower! 😳 Had to disclose that on MD apps because I wanted people to know that medical school has been on my radar all along, and so I'm not like traditional PhD's to MD's (and that's nontraditional in the first place). Getting a PhD has been a necessary and enjoyable detour 🙄 I think in the eyes of most med schools it's just a fancy EC though 😀
 
Friendly_female_house said:
IF it continues...I kept thinking that the last one is THE last one. 😀 Good luck to you dear poet friend. I used to write poems and essays too, in Chinese. Haven't gotten good enough to write in English.
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Wow!!! I wonder how rhyming in Chinese is?

I read Amy Tan's book "The Joy Luck Club" for my American Literature class, and there was an interview with the amazing Amy Tan herself we had to listen to. The Chinese soundtrack on the interview was just divine. It was called "Song of the Travelling Daughter" by Mandarin-speaking Caucasian Abigail Washburn. Are those rhyming Chinese lyrics? I memorized this song as a brown person, and so that's about the only Chinese I can say, but it is beautiful!!!
 
researchismymiddlename said:
Thanks for the congrats! And OMG about making a "career" on hobbies... I totally understand what you mean! It's why I only volunteer or donate my graphic design skills, drawing and poetry skills. I get asked why I don't take it and make it a career but I want to keep it fun and just a hobby... nothing else! I am big on rhyming in poetry 🙂 And oh yes, the Iowa Writer's Workshop is just A M A Z I N G. Did you know the founder is an MD?


Thanks sunflower! 😳 Had to disclose that on MD apps because I wanted people to know that medical school has been on my radar all along, and so I'm not like traditional PhD's to MD's (and that's nontraditional in the first place). Getting a PhD has been a necessary and enjoyable detour 🙄 I think in the eyes of most med schools it's just a fancy EC though 😀
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Yeah, definitely. I feel the same way. I didn't want my art to feel like a chore! That's cool that you like rhyming -- I don't typically rhyme! I don't really even write poetry per se... I write prose that's really short and dense like poetry, but without line breaks or rhyming or anything. Ahhh yeah the Iowa Writer's Workshop!! Soooo amazing. I didn't know that! That's incredible!!

So you got a PhD because you didn't think that med school at age 14 was an option? Fair enough!!! I bet med schools are seriously impressed by your obvious intelligence at such a young age. I'm seriously impressed!!
 
sunflower18 said:
Thank you so much!!!! I'm so excited! I saw that you got an interview at Iowa -- so much congrats on that!!! I haven't published mine in a few years because I felt like the time that I put into submitting the pieces and waiting to hear back took away from the experience of actually writing... But I still write a lot. It's cool to find other poets on SDN!! It's such a neat art form. I'd love to read yours too!! One reason why I applied to Iowa is its big association with writing and art. I find that super cool, and since you do too, I'm sure that it's a great fit for you and your interests! 🙂



I think you were talking to me... If so, thank you!!! I did not jump, but I did hyperventilate and cry and say "oh my god!" in the middle of my campus about thirty times hahaha



I agree, that's a really good pace! And it's consistent! Which is nice 🙂 I agree that inconsistency spawns neuroticism, hahah.



I do too!!! I've thought that this one was my last one for the past three invites haha. I've learned to just stop trying to predict it and let whatever happens happen.

That's so cool that you wrote poems in Chinese! I find both the differences and similarities regarding poetry in various languages to be rather beautiful. I hope that you one day write poems in English as well!
Click to expand...

My name comes from an Urdu (Indian) poem and it's Persian originally. I find Indian poems to be full of flowery words and it is certainly pretty. They don't properly rhyme though... it's like the same word is used to end all the sentences so it was hard for me to digest at first 😀 The following can be an example of an Urdu poem:

blah blah blah here
blah blah blah here
 
sunflower18 said:
Yeah, definitely. I feel the same way. I didn't want my art to feel like a chore! That's cool that you like rhyming -- I don't typically rhyme! I don't really even write poetry per se... I write prose that's really short and dense like poetry, but without line breaks or rhyming or anything. Ahhh yeah the Iowa Writer's Workshop!! Soooo amazing. I didn't know that! That's incredible!!

So you got a PhD because you didn't think that med school at age 14 was an option? Fair enough!!! I bet med schools are seriously impressed by your obvious intelligence at such a young age. I'm seriously impressed!!
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Yes! He is an MD and it's talked about a lot here 🙂

That's not the primary reason. If you read my MDapps summary you'll see that I took the MCAT in 2008 when I first applied. I did reasonably well on the BS and PS sections but got a whopping 4 on verbal because I decided to try a new strategy on test day (I didn't have one prior to test day... worked intuitively, and on test day decided that was dangerous so I saved the last 20 mins for double guessing). Yes, I could have done better straight up putting B's for all the questions :laugh: Had to rethink MD-PhD applications because I was disqualified from most schools. It's ultimately worked out great though, I'm glad I broke the two degrees apart. But my wallet's not going to be happy when I repay student loans!!! 🤣
 
researchismymiddlename said:
Yes! He is an MD and it's talked about a lot here 🙂

That's not the primary reason. If you read my MDapps summary you'll see that I took the MCAT in 2008 when I first applied. I did reasonably well on the BS and PS sections but got a whopping 4 on verbal because I decided to try a new strategy on test day (I didn't have one prior to test day... worked intuitively, and on test day decided that was dangerous so I saved the last 20 mins for double guessing). Yes, I could have done better straight up putting B's for all the questions :laugh: Had to rethink MD-PhD applications because I was disqualified from most schools. It's ultimately worked out great though, I'm glad I broke the two degrees apart. But my wallet's not going to be happy when I repay student loans!!! 🤣
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Holy moly... If you don't mind me asking how old were you when you entered college and started your PhD? You're amazing!
 
researchismymiddlename said:
Yes! He is an MD and it's talked about a lot here 🙂

That's not the primary reason. If you read my MDapps summary you'll see that I took the MCAT in 2008 when I first applied. I did reasonably well on the BS and PS sections but got a whopping 4 on verbal because I decided to try a new strategy on test day (I didn't have one prior to test day... worked intuitively, and on test day decided that was dangerous so I saved the last 20 mins for double guessing). Yes, I could have done better straight up putting B's for all the questions :laugh: Had to rethink MD-PhD applications because I was disqualified from most schools. It's ultimately worked out great though, I'm glad I broke the two degrees apart. But my wallet's not going to be happy when I repay student loans!!! 🤣
Click to expand...

That makes a lot of sense!!! I'm glad that you are having so much success now with your non-4 in verbal 🙂 I'm still incredibly impressed!!
 
😳 11 for college, and 15 for PhD

It's been great. College was simply magical from young naive eyes and it's just so much more fun when you know everyone because they know you. 😍
 
researchismymiddlename said:
😳 11 for college, and 15 for PhD

It's been great. College was simply magical from young naive eyes and it's just so much more fun when you know everyone because they know you. 😍
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Wow... you are truly amazing. I can't imagine graduating college before I was eligible to drive a car lol.
 
researchismymiddlename said:
😳 11 for college, and 15 for PhD

It's been great. College was simply magical from young naive eyes and it's just so much more fun when you know everyone because they know you. 😍
Click to expand...

I'm so curious. What did you skip to get to college 6-7 years ahead of time?
 
unnumzaan said:
I'm so curious. What did you skip to get to college 6-7 years ahead of time?
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Visa issues forced my parents to move a lot. And I come from a big family. These factors encouraged my parents to seek continuity in my education, and so I was homeschooled. It suited me because I could go at my own pace and I got to engage in a lot of unique extracurricular activities. One thing happened after another (starting with the Duke TIP program) and soon I wanted to go to college. It all worked out great!
And congratulations on your Pitt II!!! It's a great school with so much support and opportunities. I absolutely loved it today 😍
 
researchismymiddlename said:
Visa issues forced my parents to move a lot. And I come from a big family. These factors encouraged my parents to seek continuity in my education, and so I was homeschooled. It suited me because I could go at my own pace and I got to engage in a lot of unique extracurricular activities. One thing happened after another (starting with the Duke TIP program) and soon I wanted to go to college. It all worked out great!
And congratulations on your Pitt II!!! It's a great school with so much support and opportunities. I absolutely loved it today 😍
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Thanks! I saw your write up in the Pitt thread and can't wait to see it for myself. You must be one of the more unique applicants that schools see. At first I wondered to myself if the younger age might give certain people second thoughts, but it really seems like you've matured beyond your years. I'm sure the schools will be able to see that too. I keep thinking about what I was doing at age 11...something about rubber balls and Nintendo 64 :prof:
 
unnumzaan said:
Thanks! I saw your write up in the Pitt thread and can't wait to see it for myself. You must be one of the more unique applicants that schools see. At first I wondered to myself if the younger age might give certain people second thoughts, but it really seems like you've matured beyond your years. I'm sure the schools will be able to see that too. I keep thinking about what I was doing at age 11...something about rubber balls and Nintendo 64 :prof:
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Thanks! You are correct in that it costs an application typically for obvious reasons. I hope I and my LORs convey my maturity and that I've given this career choice (and others I could have chosen) a lot of thought.

And when I was 11 I did stuff like that too! I had a dollhouse, wrote diaries and sewed doll clothes and stuff 🙂 I just went to college and wrote term reports instead of going to middle school and working on geometry 😉

As a side note, when I meet random new people and they are asked to guess my age I am mistaken for 30. When I was 12, I was "17" and at 15 I was "23". I used to be so happy. It is a young girl's dream to get older. Now... not so much. This trend is disturbing but I think the PhD title is aging :laugh:
 
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researchismymiddlename said:
As a side note, when I meet random new people and they are asked to guess my age I am mistaken for 30. When I was 12, I was "17" and at 15 I was "23". I used to be so happy. It is a young girl's best dream to get older. Now... not so much. This trend is disturbing but I think the PhD title is aging :laugh:
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Have you tried pigtails? 😀
 
LOL! That was my favorite hairstyle when I was a freshman *cringe* Notice I said 12 and not 11 hahahaha

Maybe I should reapproach it? :eyebrow:
 
researchismymiddlename said:
As a side note, when I meet random new people and they are asked to guess my age I am mistaken for 30. When I was 12, I was "17" and at 15 I was "23". I used to be so happy. It is a young girl's dream to get older. Now... not so much. This trend is disturbing but I think the PhD title is aging :laugh:
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I had the opposite problem. When I was attending college in the US people thought I was 19-20 when in reality I'm 8-9 years older than that. It probably didn't help that sometimes I would show up in two side ponytails. I think doing a second undergrad and hanging out with pre drinking age crowds made me immature.
 
tofuuu said:
That's why you guys should switch to tofus. Yes, my picture is actually a ninja tofu. 😛
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I don't know what's a ninja tofu. Ninja fruits maybe heard before. but not sure about ninja tofu...:ninja:
 
Pretty sad. Just found the same minor typo in my Case, Duke, Stony Brook, UCSD, and Loyola secondaries. Hopefully the readers will skim over it so quickly that their brains will let them read what is supposed to be there :ninja: Tracing the source of the darn thing was like finding patient 0 in a zombie outbreak.

Edit: Pah! I'm already over it. No neuroticism here...nope none at all.
 
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unnumzaan said:
Pretty sad. Just found the same minor typo in my Case, Duke, Stony Brook, UCSD, and Loyola secondaries. Hopefully the readers will skim over it so quickly that their brains will let them read what is supposed to be there :ninja: Tracing the source of the darn thing was like finding patient 0 in a zombie outbreak.

Edit: Pah! I'm already over it. No neuroticism here...nope none at all.
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Keep calm and carry on. P.S. I've jumped on the penguin avatar bandwagon. Fingers crossed...
 
unnumzaan said:
Pretty sad. Just found the same minor typo in my Case, Duke, Stony Brook, UCSD, and Loyola secondaries. Hopefully the readers will skim over it so quickly that their brains will let them read what is supposed to be there :ninja: Tracing the source of the darn thing was like finding patient 0 in a zombie outbreak.

Edit: Pah! I'm already over it. No neuroticism here...nope none at all.
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I had a minor typo and I'm good to go with Duke so don't worry!
 
Hey, I'm about to submit my application, and I was wondering if anyone could tell me if by the two "science" letters they mean BCPM or just BCP? I've got letters from all but I think one of my Math letters is possibly stronger than the BCP letters.
 
Thank you! Unfortunately I've had a mortifying fear of penguins since being bitten as a toddler
 
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